In an Australian double, skipper Ricky Ponting and leg-spinning maestro Shane Warne took top honours in the latest ICC Test batting and bowling rankings.
Ponting's century in the second cricket Test against South Africa in Melbourne propelled him to the top of the batting charts while Warne's six wickets in the same match helped him upstage compatriot Glenn McGrath in the bowlers' rankings.
- Also see: Rediff Test rankings | Rediff ODI rankings
The Australian captain reached the top for the first time in his career displacing South African Jacques Kallis whose mediocre performance in the second Test dropped him to fifth position on the list.
Caribbean legend Brian Lara and Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq gained one place each to be second and third respectively. Australia opener Matthew Hayden, who has been quite prolific of late, was a big mover gaining three spots to claim joint third position with Inzamam.
Among Indians, skipper Rahul Dravid lost one position to take sixth while Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar kept their seventh and ninth spots respectively.
Warne, who set the record for the most number of Test wickets in a calendar year (96) in 2005, exchanged places with McGrath in the latest bowling rankings. Sri Lankan wizard Mutthiah Muralitharan is third.
With Irfan Pathan falling out of the top ten bowling chart, Anil Kumble is the only Indian in the elite list at number nine.
However, the left-armer from Baroda is ranked provisionally fourth in the all-rounder's rankings headed by Kallis.
Full details of the current LG ICC Test Championship and how future results will impact on the table, as well as the LG ICC Player Rankings can be found at: http://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/lg.html
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